Musica Singers capped off their 2024 – 2025 season with Awitan, a vibrant celebration of Filipino music and culture, held at the Desautels Concert Hall on June 28. Story on pA6. Photo by Rollan Temporosa.

Musica Singers closed their 2024-2025 season with Awitan, a celebration of Filipino music and culture, held at the Desautels Concert Hall on June 28. The concert marked the finale of the ensemble’s second season, which began with Paskuhan in December and continued with Tanghalanin February, and culminated in this cultural highlight during Filipino Heritage Month.

The evening opened with An Archipelago of Music, a musical journey across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Through traditional melodies and choral arrangements, the ensemble painted a soundscape of the Philippines’ diverse cultural heritage. With over 7,000 islands and nearly 200 ethnolinguistic groups, the Philippines’ musical traditions were brought to life with their voices.

Adding a dynamic visual layer to the performance, members of Magdaragat Philippines joined the singers onstage in select numbers, incorporating traditional dance movements that brought the songs’ stories to life for the audience.

In the second half of the program, the OPM Then and Now segment showcased Filipino pop classics and contemporary hits popularized by Sharon Cuneta, Bini, and SB19. The concert concluded with Still the Heart Sings, a tribute to Filipino music icons Pilita Corrales, Freddie Aguilar, Nora Aunor, and Hajji Alejandro, featuring renditions of Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal, Anak, Handog, and Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika.

Musica Singers continues to share the richness of choral music this summer with four special performances across Winnipeg, including Gathered Voices at St. Ann Church (July 25), the Pearl of the Orient Philippine Pavilion at Folklorama (August 10), Harmonious Resonance at Desautels Concert Hall (August 16), and the Manitoba Filipino Street Festival at the Maples Community Centre (August 17).

The group is also inviting new voices to join them for their upcoming third season, Tatsulok, with concerts scheduled for December 2025, March 2026, and June 2026. Auditions are now open. Visit www.MusicaSingersMB.ca for more information on events and auditions.